I have rapid media converter that keeps popping up ads. I tried to uninstall it but couldn't.

  • 27 October 2014
  • 3 replies
  • 33 views

I tried Webroot to uninstall rapid media converter but when I booted this morning it was still there. I paid almost $50 to oter programs that claimed the could uninstall rapid media but the didn't. Is there any help out there?

3 replies

Userlevel 7
Hello Frankaren, welcome to the Webroot Community!
 
There is a very good chance what you are seeing is not true malware, but what we call a PUA (Potentially Unwanted Application).  Even though not true malware, as you can see they are very annoying indeed.
 
What follows is a long copy/paste info that we often use.  If you do not want to read it all, and try to use the info in it to remove this garbage from your computer, you can submit a Trouble Ticket at any time to have Webroot Support give you a hand with it.  There is no charge for Support to do so!
 
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What you are seeing and describing sounds like it may be what we on the Community refer to as a PUA. (Potentially Unwanted Application)These are very annoying at best in that they cause pop-us, redirect your browser home page, and other behavior that may slow down the computer and direct ads your way, but they are not actually doing anything bad like damaging files or stealing information. Often they are installed intentionally by you the user as browser add-ons for various tasks such as quick search tools.. but they also come with the result of added annoying pop-ups and ads. Other times they 'piggy back' with other software that you installed, or try to 'sneak' onto your system entirely.
 
WSA does detect and remove many PUA's, and more are being added, but WSA does not detect all of them. A simple browser add-on with PUA behavior that is easy to identify and easy to remove is not likely to be detected and removed by WSA. Those that are intentionally difficult to locate and remove are. Please see THIS LINK for more information regarding Webroot's stance on these annoying programs.
 
For those that are not detected by WSA, please see this KB Article. It has some easy to follow directions on locating and removing PUA's. You may also want to submit a Trouble Ticket, especially if you cannot remove it easily from the directions in the KB Article.
 
For those that ARE detected by WSA, but cannot be removed automatically, you can submit a Trouble Ticket.  Webroot Support will help you get these annoying 'crapware' off your computer at no extra charge, and the additional examples may help to better automatic removal of that particular PUA for all users in the future.
 
To make sure that your WSA is checking for PUA's with the best proficiently, it sometimes helps to reset the PUA detection within WSA's settings. For PUA's that had previously been scanned and determined to be OK, but have since been added to detection/removal, you may want to complete the following steps:
 
  • Open Webroot SecureAnywhere
  • Click on ‘Advanced Settings’ from the top right
  • Select ‘Scan Settings’ from the left side
  • Unselect the option “Detect Potentially Unwanted Applications”
  • Click on the Save button (you may have to enter in a CAPTCHA)
  • Reselect the option to “Detect Potentially Unwanted Applications”
  • Click on the Save button
  • Run another scan with Webroot and remove any items that get detected.
To help avoid PUA's in the future, remember to read all of the information when installing or updating software (Adobe downloads often have those "extra special offers"attached... PUA'S!: often the PUA included will be mentioned, and you can opt out of installing it.  Those check boxes you see? Usually only one of them is for the User Agreement of the software you want, the others are for the junk you don't.
 
 I hope this helps you both understand, and resolve the problem and if not please let us know!
 
 
 
NOTE: As noted above, PUA's that:
 
  • Come in with other downloads
  • Have a clear opt out ability prior to install
 
are often NOT detected and removed.  This is partly for legal reasons: the source of the download can complain about it's extra software being blocked automatically by Webroot.  There may be to allow WSA to recognize and block a LOT more PUA's than it currently can.  Please see THIS IDEA for more information, and give a KUDO if you agree.  User Idea requests are noted by the Webroot Team, and the more Kudo's on an Idea the more likely we may see dev time devoted to it.
Userlevel 7
I am going to follow up here with a suggestion to go ahead and take the Trouble Ticket route unless you are a fairly advanced PC user.  The removal of this PUA appears to be on the more complex side in my opinion.  Possibly easy to do for an advanced user, but not so for many average users.
Userlevel 7
Oh, and you should also request refund from the programs that did not work, or dispute the charges with your credit card company.  Very possibly there may be programs out there that claim to specifically clear only this PUA, but fail to.  That may well be the point of the PUA: to sell you something that doesnt really work, or at least might not.

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